Horizon Europe: Ensuring Effectiveness of Protected Areas in Future Biodiversity Scenarios (CL6-2026-BIODIV-04)
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-05-06 11:58
Research and Innovation Action to develop predictive tools and management approaches ensuring the future effectiveness of EU protected areas (terrestrial or marine) in the face of intensifying biodiversity loss drivers. Marine field B option covers marine protected areas. Deadline September 17 2026.
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Commission / REA (Research Executive Agency) — Horizon Europe Cluster 6
- Funding Goal
- Develop knowledge and predictive tools to ensure the continuing effectiveness of EU protected areas (marine or terrestrial) under intensifying drivers of biodiversity loss (climate change, land/sea use change, pollution, invasive species), and assess novel adaptive management approaches to maintain conservation status of protected habitats and species.
- Funding Amount
- Horizon Europe RIA standard grant; typical range EUR 5-8M; 100% EU co-funding for RIA actions
- Deadline
- 2026-09-17 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Single-stage submission via EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 17 September 2026. Proposals must clearly indicate research field A (terrestrial) or B (marine biodiversity and ecosystems). Must cooperate with EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and European partnership Biodiversa+.
- Target Region
- EU Member States and associated countries; marine field covers EU sea areas and areas beyond national jurisdiction; international cooperation encouraged
- Contact
- EU Funding & Tenders Portal; REA; EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD); Biodiversa+ secretariat
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-06 11:58
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-04 is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) within the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services destination of Horizon Europe Cluster 6, open from 17 April 2026 with a deadline of 17 September 2026. The topic addresses the question of how EU protected areas can remain effective conservation instruments as biodiversity loss drivers intensify. The programme objective is to analyse long-term trends in the effects of the five main biodiversity loss drivers (changing use of sea/land, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution including marine litter and chemical contamination, and invasive alien species) and their cumulative impacts. Projects should develop predictive tools to anticipate how these impacts will evolve in the medium and long terms, assess future impacts on conservation status of protected habitats and species, and explore novel adaptive approaches (climate refugia, bright spots, assisted migration) where conventional protection is insufficient. Eligible activities include trend analysis and cumulative impact modelling, predictive tool development, assessment of protected area management effectiveness using LIFE PAME Europe metrics, testing innovative management approaches with performance indicators, long-term ecological monitoring design, and stakeholder co-design with nature management authorities and civil society. SSH disciplines are explicitly required. Projects must build on existing monitoring frameworks and cooperate with Biodiversa+ European partnership. The geographic scope covers EU protected areas — proposals address either research field A (terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems) or research field B (marine biodiversity and ecosystems). The marine field B includes coastal and offshore marine protected areas, marine Natura 2000 sites, and areas designated under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Arctic marine protected areas would be fully in scope. International cooperation is encouraged, especially for transboundary protected areas. Eligible applicants are consortia of at least 3 legal entities from at least 3 EU Member States or associated countries. 100% EU co-funding (RIA type). Eligible entities include research institutions, universities, public nature management authorities, and NGOs. The topic explicitly requires involvement of public authorities managing protected areas and civil society organisations in the research team. Target beneficiaries include national and regional protected area managers, EU nature policy makers (supporting EU Biodiversity Strategy 30x30 implementation), the European Environment Agency, RFMO members (marine field), and ultimately the species and habitats being protected. The topic links to the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, MSFD, and Kunming-Montreal GBF target 3.
Historical Context
Protected area effectiveness has been a recurring Horizon Europe CL6 BIODIV theme. LIFE PAME EUROPE (protected area management effectiveness) is the predecessor project whose methods this topic builds on. The topic appears annually as part of the CL6 BIODIV destination opening in April. Previous editions funded PAPABIO and similar projects on Natura 2000 management.
Why it was added
dana-enricher-api-eu-ft-2026-05-06